At the ceremony, Matson board member Jenai Wall officially christened the vessel Makua by breaking a ceremonial bottle of champagne against the ship’s hull before a gathering of approximately 300 attendees, including US Maritime Administration Deputy Administrator Mark Johnson, Matson and HPSI executives, shipyard workers, and union leaders. Speakers included US Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) Deputy Commander Lt. General Jered P. Helwig.
Representing an investment of approximately $1 billion, Matson’s three new Jones Act-compliant vessels are being built to match the size and speed of Matson’s two existing Aloha Class ships, Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, which were also built by HPSI and set a new standard for cargo transportation in Hawaii when they entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively, as the largest containerships ever constructed in the US.
Weighing in at over 51,400 metric tons, Matson’s 850-foot long and 3,600-TEU*-capacity Aloha Class containerships are also Matson’s fastest vessels, with a top speed of nearly 24 knots, helping ensure on-time deliveries in Hawaii and industry-leading transit times from Asia to the US West Coast.
Like their sisterships, the new vessels will be equipped with dual fuel engines designed to operate on either conventional marine fuels or liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as other “green ship technology” features, such as a fuel-efficient hull design, environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks, and freshwater ballast systems. While the earlier ships required some modification to operate with LNG, the new ships will be delivered LNG-ready.
The three new ships will replace three vessels currently deployed in Matson’s Hawaii and CLX services. Makua is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027; the second ship is scheduled to deliver in the third quarter of 2027, and the third is expected in the second quarter of 2028.
“We look forward to putting Makua to work serving our customers early next year,” said Matt Cox, chairman and chief executive officer. “We’re excited that adding three new Aloha Class ships to Matson’s fleet over the next 18 months will improve operating efficiencies and reliability, and increase capacity in our core Hawaii service, as well as our China-Long Beach Express service. And we’re proud that building them here supports hundreds of good-paying shipyard jobs and will provide more than 2,500 job opportunities for US mariners over the lifespan of each ship.”
HPSI is a leading US commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the domestic Jones Act trade lanes. Prior to Matson’s first two Aloha Class ships, the shipyard delivered four newly built Jones Act containerships for Matson between 2003 and 2006.
“Today’s christening of Makua is especially meaningful because Matson has been part of the story of this shipyard from its earliest days,” said David Kim, CEO of HPSI. “Our partnership spans generations of vessels and reflects a shared commitment to American shipbuilding and the US maritime industry. We are grateful for Matson’s continued trust in our people, and incredibly proud of the skill and craftsmanship our workforce is bringing to Makua and the next generation of Aloha Class ships.”
Matson plans to name the other two new containerships Malama and Makena. Founded in 1882 as a Hawaii-focused business, Matson has a long tradition of giving Hawaiian names to its vessels serving Hawaii, and also reusing vessel names from the early 20th century.
Matson’s original ships named Makua, Malama, and Makena were all freighters commissioned by the United States Shipping Board (USSB), an emergency agency established by the 1916 Shipping Act to increase the number of US ships supporting the war effort during World War I. They were purchased by Matson in the 1920s and remained active in the Matson fleet for the next two decades.
Makua (“mah-KOO-ah”) is a Hawaiian word for parent, elder, ancestor, or family.
Malama (“MAH-lah-mah”) is a Hawaiian word meaning to care for or protect.
Makena (“Mah-KEN-ah”) is a Hawaiian word for abundance.
